Stella McCartney Stella fragrance review

With some of my reviews it just takes some time to get around to them and this is one of them. Stella McCartney’s Stella Eau de Parfum was one that was on my wishlist for years.

I first came across this perfume through beauty influencers, but even back in the day I found it very hard to find. So many people recommended this, but it wasn’t for sale where I lived and fragrance can be hard to buy internationally.

In the end, I ended up smelling it a few times when I was travelling in the UK. Then I got lucky and found it on a website that did ship this to my location. I only got the medium 50 ml size but it has been one of my favorite fall fragrances. Here’s why!

Review: Stella McCartney Stella Eau de Parfum

This Eau de Parfum is sadly a bit hard to find nowadays. So this will be good while it lasts. At the moment I cannot find it anywhere and apparently if you do find it, it ends up being very expensive. I bought mine through Feel Unique at £59.00 back in 2019.

Stella is a fragrance that has some more controversy surrounding it. It was revamped in 2014 after which many people started disliking this, saying it didn’t last as long. I never got to try the original version so I don’t know how they compare.

What are the fragrance notes?

The main note in this fragrance is rose. But not a sickly sweet rose. This is very floral and quite heady. I am getting a similar vibe to this as I get with some jasmin heavy perfumes, but this one feels warmer and more rounded. What sets this apart for me is the fact that it smells very floral but without the typical sharpness.

Top notes are rose, peony and mandarin orange. The middle note is also rose and the base notes are amber and woodsy notes.

So I think you can see where the scent comes from. The warmth is basically the amber and woodsy notes and the floral is definitely in the rose. Rose is not a scent note I normally love, but in this fragrance it is elevated to a new level.

Why this fragrance is now one of my favorites

Apart from the scent notes, what I love about this fragrance is the way it makes me feel. This is why it can take me some time before I make up my mind about fragrances. I can start off loving something upon first smell and then dislike it after a few wears as it isn’t doing enough for me. This one had the opposite effect.

What this does for me is make me feel like a warm hug on a grey rainy day. Where in the winter I prefer a bit of spice and vanilla in my fragrances for that warm hug feeling, Stella is one I love for fall because it lacks that spice but it does have the warmth with a touch of something more fresh.

The rose in this was a bit overwhelming to me at first, but this grew on me over time. It lasts really well on me, but because it doesn’t project much I feel I can wear this all day and only smell a whiff every once in a while.

This is a great everyday day time fragrance. The rose is warm and sexy but also classy, while the hint of freshness that cuts through keeps this light and great for everyday.

What is your favorite fall fragrance?